'Attacks on journalists are a symbol of impunity'

Click to read the article in Turkish

Doing their jobs under the threat of investigations, lawsuits and detentions, journalists in Turkey are also being targeted in physical assaults. In the first 15 days of 2021, five journalists from around Turkey were physically assaulted. Three of them were local journalists.

Eighteen journalists were attacked in the last year and 193 journalists were attacked in the last five years.

Busy with silencing media outlets critical of it, the government has not shown a reaction to such attacks but rather left journalists vulnerable.

CLICK - Being a journalist in Turkey: Five physical assaults in 15 days

We have spoken about the current situation with Özgür Öğret, the Turkey representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Erol Önderoğlu, the Turkey representative for the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Özge Yurttaş, the secretary-general of the DİSK Basın-İş union.

"Portraying journalists as enemies"

Özgür Öğret says that political rhetoric that portrays journalists as enemies contributes to such attacks.

"Among the reasons for [attacks on journalists] to occur frequently are impunity and statements by political figures that are anti-press and that criminalize media outlets engaged in journalism that is outside what is being requested," he says.

The authorities' reluctance to prosecute attacks on journalists also encourage attacks, according to Öğret.

"Impunity remains a rule"

Also pointing out impunity, RSF's Önderoğlu says, "We see with concern that the ruling politics has moved away from the culture of debate and regards criticism as enmity."

After Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu targeted journalists such as Barış Terkoğlu, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahçeli has now undertaken this "unfortunate" duty, Önderdoğlu says, adding: "We afraid that the threats against Karar newspaper columnists Elif Çakır, Yıldıray Oğur and Taha Akyol are a golden opportunity for violent meddlers. We reject these approaches as serious irresponsibility."

"139 reporters were assaulted in Turkey in the last five years. These attacks became widespread against local journalists criticizing the People's Alliance after the local elections on March 31, 2019.

"However, even an indictment has not been written in one-and-a-half years for those who assaulted Yeniçağ newspaper columnist Yavuz Selim Demirağ. The journalist's application to the HSK [Council of Judges and Prosecutors] has not been answered.

"The case of Adana Egemen newspaper's grant holder Hakan Denizli, who was assaulted in an armed attack in May 2019, will continue in February.

"The truth is that attacks for which responsibility can be attributed to the government circles are not effectively investigated. If there are prosecutions, they are extended over a period of time.

"And impunity remains as a rule. The non-prosecution of the attack against 10 journalists who wanted to report on the attack on the Security Directorate in Midyat [Mardin] on June 8, 2016, is a bitter symbol of impunity.

"We see those who appeal to violence in politics responsible for these attacks."

"The solution is an organized struggle"

Unionist Özge Yurttaş notes that the recent attacks were against the members of media outlets that have a nationalist leaning but are critical of the government.

"These attacks targeting journalists shouldn't be considered as simple judicial incidents and battery, they should be defined as attacks against freedom of thought and expression," she says.

However, she adds, a legal stance would not be enough to end such attacks as long as the "hateful" actions and discourse of the government and its partners continue.

"Bahçeli [Devlet, the MHP Chair] himself declares a journalist an enemy every day. And his party's members who are active on the streets take it upon themselves and attack journalists.

"The way to make these attacks void is to speak out against them and strengthen the organized struggle of journalists." (HA/VK)